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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23771620">I Have Always Loved You.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JamieB93/pseuds/JamieB93'>JamieB93</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Blood Feud [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Abusive Relationships, Adorable Peter Parker, BAMF May Parker (Spider-Man), Ben Parker Lives, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, F/M, Fat Shaming, Fluff and Angst, Harley Keener &amp; Peter Parker &amp; Harry Osborn are Siblings, Harley Keener &amp; Peter Parker Friendship, Harley Keener &amp; Peter Parker are Siblings, Harley Keener Needs a Hug, Harry Osborn Needs a Hug, Human Experimentation, Hurt Peter Parker, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Insane Norman Osborn, Kid Harley Keener, Kid Harry Osborn, Kid Peter Parker, Norman Osborn Being a Jerk, Norman Osborn's A+ parenting, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Peter Parker is a Mess, Physical Abuse, Precious Peter Parker, Protective Harley Keener, Protective Harry Osborn, Protective May Parker (Spider-Man), Protective Peter Parker, Supportive May Parker (Spider-Man), They're all Norman's sons, Unrequited Love</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 19:27:05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,211</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23771620</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JamieB93/pseuds/JamieB93</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Richard Parker has been hopelessly in love with a woman who does not love him back for as long as he can remember. He works for her husband. He's close with her kids, and yet he cannot stop pushing the boundaries of their so-called friendship.</p><p>And maybe there's a chance she loves him back. It's a hope he's clung on to for nearly twenty years.</p><p>But she's married to a monster. And Richard's no better. Just ask her son, Peter.</p><p>[Second in a planned series called Blood Feud]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ben Parker/May Parker (Spider-Man), Harley Keener &amp; Harry Osborn, Harley Keener &amp; May Parker (Spider-Man), Harley Keener &amp; Peter Parker, Harry Osborn &amp; May Parker (Spider-Man), Harry Osborn &amp; Peter Parker, Mary Parker &amp; May Parker, Mary Parker/Richard Parker, May Parker &amp; Peter Parker, Norman Osborn &amp; Richard Parker, Norman Osborn/Mary Parker, Quentin Beck &amp; Norman Osborn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Blood Feud [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1709539</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>108</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I Have Always Loved You.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>You will *hate* Richard Parker and Norman Osborne by the end of this. I know I did.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Blood Feud: The Gathering Storm</strong>
</p><p>
  
</p><p><span class="u">Part Two: </span>I Have Always Loved You (Richard Parker).</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Friday, 3<sup>rd</sup> February 1995, Midtown Four Seasons Hotel, New York</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Rain poured down from the sky as Richard Parker slammed the cab door shut and looked up at the looming fancy hotel towering above him. Armed with nothing but the shirt on his back, Richard took a deep breath as he started what was sure to be a futile mission, but his soul was eating away at him and he’d been sitting on these feelings for almost five years.</p><p>Mary Holland was marrying Norman Osborne in thirteen hours’ time and Richard had to tell her how he felt before she did. It was hopeless, but he had to try. Not just for his sake, but for Mary’s. There was no way that he could just sit back and allow her to marry that awful, arrogant, control freak and doom herself to a life full of gaslighting and insecurity. He cared too much about her to let that happen. Mary was his world, and Richard was pathetic.</p><p>He told himself over and over and over that his interference was not because he felt entitled to her love, nor because he felt only he could have her and no other man could, but because Mary’s choice of a potential husband was a disaster waiting to happen. Everyone at Harvard had known what kind of a man Norman Osborne was from the second he’d set foot on campus and announced to all present that he was only pursuing a biochemistry degree out of boredom, not necessity. Yet, despite his lack of need for the degree, Norman had preceded to spend the next four years dictating every lecture whilst the professor’s stood back and allowed him because he was just so “brilliant”.</p><p>So rich, more like.</p><p>The only friend Norman had managed to make during this time was Steven Westcott, a criminal law student whom Richard had always assumed Norman only kept around because he just so happened to be the top of his class and just so happened to be studying the very thing that would lead him to be able to defend Norman against the inevitable lawsuits that would catch up with him at some point. Norman’s views on people and how they should be treated had always been troubling to Richard. The guy spoke about human beings as if they were possessions. Something’s to be molded, used for his own gain.</p><p>Steven Westcott had actually been quite popular on campus and had an uncanny ability to be able to talk Norman into things. So, Norman was dragged to parties semi-reluctantly and had a few stop and start romances but didn’t form any serious intentions on any body until Mary Holland quite literally fell into his lap at the 1990 Christmas rager.</p><p>Mary was the most popular girl in their class. Richard was pretty sure he’d fallen in love with her the second he’d seen her and she seemed to like him back, though as he raced through the fancy hotel determined to stop her marrying another man, Richard had to wonder if it had all been in his head. They’d kissed at a party once; she had pouted a little during his brief but passionate fling with Delta Thomas in sophomore year and she’d once indicated to a girlfriend, very loudly and drunkenly, that she had a crush on a guy in her class.</p><p>Walking through the lobby, Richard was struck as he realized that the person she was referring to had likely been Norman, and not him. But at the time, the idea that Mary would have been drawn to Norman in any way seemed like a total impossibility. She had always considered Norman as insufferable and arrogant as everyone else and had taken part in more than her fair share of trash talk sessions about the guy in the little coffee shop by the park everyone used to gather at after a particularly egotistical performance.</p><p>At some point, Norman had managed to charm Mary, and by the end of the senior year, they were dating and became engaged a year later. Richard had been by Mary’s side the entire time, biting his tongue and pining from afar, ever her second closest friend after May Reilly; her freshman year roommate and a psychology major. Richard had hoped that May would have maintained her own dislike of Norman from college but since the graduation, she’d warmed to him as well and seemed genuinely excited by the engagement.</p><p>It was the night before the wedding now and Richard had spent enough time sitting on his feelings and praying for Mary to come to her senses of her own accord. Ben, his big brother and muse, had begged him not to leave for the hotel but Richard had managed to sneak his car keys and had driven off. He knew Ben was likely chasing after him but their Queens apartment was a thirty-minute drive away without traffic and Richard knew he had enough time.</p><p>“Room number, sugar” the elevator attendant asked Richard as he ran into the empty lift.</p><p>“I don’t have one” Richard panted, “Visiting a friend?”</p><p>“Then I’m afraid you can’t come up” she replied with a sigh, “I can’t just be taking you to some random person’s room. You could be a maniac.”</p><p>Richard laughed and realized he’d have a bit of trouble getting up if this lady had anything to do with it. In fairness, he probably did look a little bit like a maniac, and definitely felt like one.</p><p>“I’m the…err, stripper for the bachelorette party in the Bridal suite” he lied, the woman looked him up and down and nodded as if she approved, “I’ve had a bit of a nightmare getting here. Car broke down, the heavens opened and my….err, fireman outfit got misplaced. I probably won’t be getting a tip.”</p><p>The woman studied him for another second, smirked and then sighed before pushing the button that would take Richard up to Mary’s floor.</p><p>“Best of luck, they seem wild” the attendant sighed once they reached the floor and Richard stepped out of the elevator. Richard smiled back at her as the doors closed before taking a deep breath and making his way towards Mary’s penthouse suite. From what he’d been told, they were having a few drinks together and would get ready for the wedding the next morning before heading out to the wedding. A wedding Richard had been invited to and, if he had any sense, would be back at his apartment with Ben getting his tux pressed for. But no, he was here.</p><p>Following the sound of <em>Girls Just Want To Have Fun</em>, Richard was running by the time he turned the corner and was faced with the doors to the suite. He banged on them a few times, likely not heard over he music and laughter, and was greeted two minutes later by the vision of May Reilly who’s face dropped and eyes rolled when she realized who was at the door.</p><p>“Rich, for god sake, what are you doing here?” she snapped as she closed the door behind her and pushed him back a little so they were out of ear range, “I told you yesterday that Mary does not need any trouble tonight. If you’re here to cause trouble then-“</p><p>“I need to speak to her” Richard snapped, “I’m sorry May, but I need to get this off of my chest. She needs to know how I feel before-“</p><p>“She knows you feel” May said viciously, “Every damn one of us knows how you feel about her. We’ve not been walking around with our eyes closed for the last five years, everyone knows you’re in love with her and I get that seeing her marry someone else must suck, but just man up and deal with it!”</p><p>“It’s not about her getting married” Richard argued, “It’s the fact she’s marrying <em>him</em>”</p><p>May rolled her eyes.</p><p>“Sure, whatever” she sighed</p><p>“You know what Norman’s like” Richard said callously, “If you’re able to see I’m in love with Mary, then you must be able to see what a creep Osborne really is. He’s bad news May and he’s bad news for Mary.”</p><p>“Richard, you’re not seriously expecting me to buy this, are you?” May scoffed, “Dude, I love you, but come on. Norman has grown up a lot since college, he’s in charge of his parents’ company now and he’s doing some really amazing things with it.”</p><p>“What are you, his spokesperson?” Richard snapped, “You’re an intelligent woman, May, please don’t tell me you’ve fallen for his crap as well. He’s a creep.”</p><p>“He is not the one standing here trying to ruin the wedding of a girl who doesn’t love him” May said so harshly that Richard flinched, “I’m sorry Rich, but it’s the truth. I’m not some shill for Osborne, I just respect my best friend enough to see the logic and the good in her choices. Norman adores her. He doesn’t control her, and he doesn’t take her love for granted for one second. She’s making the right decision for her and you’re not going to talk her out of it.”</p><p>“I need to-“</p><p>“OH NO YOU DON’T!” May shouted, “For goodness sake, will you just listen to me?! Mary is marrying Norman Osborne tomorrow and there is nothing that you can do about it. I’m sorry but that’s just the way it is and you are being the world’s most supremely worst friend and a total fucking creep than by stalking her here and trying to get her to change her mind. Seems a lot like the kind of thing you’re always accusing Norman of being, if you ask me.”</p><p>“I love her” Richard said tearfully. May’s hardened face softened a little and she sighed.</p><p>“I know you do, man” she said quietly, “I know and unrequited love bites your ass hard. I get it. But look at the situation here, Rich. OK, even if Mary didn’t love Norman and she had no intention of marrying him, does that automatically mean she’d come running to you? The guy who’s wasting his degree and living in squalor with his douchey older brother-“</p><p>“You don’t even know Ben” Richard said petulantly</p><p>“I know enough” May said with a bitter smile, “Rich, honey, I don’t want to fall out with you. I love you and you have so much to offer, but you need to offer it to someone who’s not taken and who hasn’t made it clear time and time again that they’re not interested in you that way.”</p><p>“She can’t marry him, May” Richard replied pleadingly, “She can’t. He’s bad news, I can feel it in my gut, this will all end in tears one day. I’m not doing this because I want her to myself, I’m doing this to save her, to stop her making the biggest mistake of her life.”</p><p>“And what if I said it was too late to do anything about it?” Mary’s voice called out from behind May. Richard’s breath caught in his throat as he watched the woman he loved tentatively step in to the hallway and softly close the door behind her. Even now, as she stood before him in bright pink Pyjamas, her sleek blonde hair entirely unkempt and without an inch of make-up on her face, Mary Holland remained the most beautiful woman Richard Parker had ever seen.</p><p>It was like he was immediately back at Freshman intro in October 1988, freshly new at Harvard, eighteen, and aware he was only there because of a scholarship. Entirely unbelonging and everyone around him knew it. Mary had walked in and saw Richard sitting shyly on his own as everyone around them mingled and introduced themselves, boasting of their many prestigious achievements and vacations to places Richard and Ben had spent their entire lives dreaming of. Unlike everyone else, Mary did not identity him as an outlier and made a special effort to come over and introduce herself. They talked to only one another that night and it had lasted to the early hours of the morning. Richard felt the electricity then and he felt it now, six years later, on the eve of her wedding to a man he hated.</p><p>“Mary, honey, go back inside” May said kindly, “I’m dealing with Rich. I think I might have just been about to get the message into his thick skull.”</p><p>“It’s fine” Mary said with a nod, “I need to tell him. Go back inside. I’ll be fine, and please make sure Meaghan doesn’t break anymore vases. Norman’s willing to pay for all of this, the last thing we want is him getting an extra bill for ornament replacements. The noise complaint alone will cause enough trouble.”</p><p>May smiled and patted Mary on the shoulder before heading inside. Richard wanted to stop her, wanted to make May turn around and use her apparent psychological prowess to analyze what Mary had said. How their presence in the hotel was down to Norman’s money, how Mary was expecting trouble if any rules were broken and how much of it was down to Mary acting in ways Norman wouldn’t appreciate. But he didn’t and May gave him a withering, disappointed look before heading back inside.</p><p>“Mary, I-“</p><p>“Don’t, Richard, please” she sighed, looking tearful and holding a finger up to his lips, “There is something I need to tell you but before I do, I need you to know that this time tomorrow I will be Mrs. Norman Osborne and there’s nothing you can say or do at this point to change my mind.”</p><p>“He’s bad for you” Richard pleaded, “Mary, I’m not saying that I want you to runaway with me or whatever, but you can’t marry that man. He will gut you. He will ruin your life.”</p><p>“He won’t, Rich” Mary said as if she was stating a known, undisputable fact, “Norman makes me happy. He treats me well and gives me the respect and independence my parents never gave me. I love him and he loves me and we’re happy and I’m sorry if you can’t see that Richard, but you need to because I can’t cope with this stress right now….”</p><p>Richard pursed his lips. There was something more, something she wasn’t telling him.</p><p>“Tell me” it was an instruction but presented itself as a pathetic whimpered question and Richard was sure Mary had never found him less attractive than she did in that moment, “Whatever it is, Mary, please tell me. I know you; I know you so well, and I can tell there’s something you need to-“</p><p>“I’m pregnant” she said quickly, her hand running over her stomach as she spoke. Richard glanced down and noticed that her usually flat stomach did seem to have more of a weight to it. Mary smiled as she glanced down at her little bump and then looked back up at him, tears gleaming in her eyes, “I’m three and a half months pregnant.”</p><p>Richard nodded. This was it. He knew that now. There really was nothing that he could say or do to talk her out of this wedding. Mary was pregnant. She was already pregnant with Osborne’s kids, tied to him for life no matter what happened in the future, she was carrying Norman Osborne’s <em>fucking baby</em>.</p><p>Before Richard could really react, the elevator doors slammed open once again and Richard sighed as he saw his big brother running breathlessly down the corridor towards them both. The commotion caused May to venture back outside of the suite.</p><p>“Richard, I’m sorry, but I’m going through with the wedding” Mary said softly, she reached for his hand and squeezed it, “I would really love it if you’d be there. Despite all of this, you are still one of my best friends and all-time favourite people, you should be at my wedding.”</p><p>Ben looked confused as his eyes darted between Richard, Mary and May. He and May had never met one another before but seemed intent on inspecting the other for the sake of protecting the two people in the middle of them. Ben’s brother and May’s best friend.</p><p>“I’m the one who’s sorry” Richard croaked as tears pooled in Mary’s eyes once again, “Marry him if you must Mary, but please don’t expect me to be there to watch you sign your life away. Norman Osborne will never change. I hope everything goes well with the baby. I hope he or she gets your eyes, your kindness, your everything. Please never let that man infect your baby.”</p><p>“Rich, buddy, I think it’s time to leave” Ben said softly, putting a hand on his brother’s chest and pushing him back from Mary a little. Tears fell down Mary’s face as Richard moved away and Ben walked with him to the end of the hallway and back into the elevator. Next thing Richard knew, they were back in the parking lot and making their way back to Ben’s car. It will still raining.</p><p>“RICH, WAIT” a female voice called out from behind them. Richard gasped and ducked out from under Ben’s guide as he turned to face the woman, thinking for a second that Mary had come to her senses and followed him outside. The ensuing slap to the face quickly told him it was not Mary. It was May, and Richard had never seen her look quite so furious. And they’d been to protests together.</p><p>“You sniveling rat bastard” May snarled, “It’s the night before that girl’s wedding and she’s spending it crying her eyes out over your sorry ass.”</p><p>“Hey, go easy” Ben snapped as he moved in between the two before Richard could reply, “It’s an intense situation for everybody, he’s just as upset as she is.”</p><p>“And what would you know about it?” May rounded on Ben, “Richard had no right coming here and subjecting her to that. She’s pregnant, she doesn’t need this stress.”</p><p>“I’m sorry” Ben sighed as Richard was beyond words at this point, “But you didn’t need to come down here and assault my brother to get your point across. Why don’t you go back upstairs and look after your friend, and I’ll look after my baby brother, OK?”</p><p>May’s shoulders seemed to deflate a little at Ben’s words. Richard knew why, his big brother had always had that affect on people. Calming. Grounding. Making them see what their priorities were and how they should go about fixing their problems. Richard knew he should listen to his brother more; he probably wouldn’t have ended up in a situation like this one if he did.</p><p>“Fine” May sighed, “Richard, please take this as a lesson to move on. I don’t want to hate you or resent you for making Mary upset. Please, just work on yourself. You graduated fucking top of our class, you’re always going to have that over Norman, if it’s any consolation. I know it chaps his skinny ass. Go out and fucking change the world or something, life will fall into place eventually, but this isn’t it.”</p><p>“She’s right” Ben muttered, “Listen to her.”</p><p>Richard nodded as May turned and walked back into the hotel, failing to register his brother’s lingering stare at Mary’s best friend as she left them in the parking lot.</p><p>Ben volunteered to go back to the hotel and retrieve his car the next morning and bumped into May again. They chatted. And the rest, as they say, was history.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Friday, 25<sup>th</sup> July 2003, Osborne Manner, Long Island, New York.</em>
</p><p>This had been a turn up for the books. Richard Parker had not seen Mary Holland in person since the night before her wedding eight years before. The last near decade had been spent in a whirlwind of travelling the world for work, a steady descent into functional alcoholism, womanizing and spending every waking second not thinking about Mary Holland. Which meant, to say, that Richard had spent every second of the last eight years determined not to think about Mary. It hadn’t been an easy task either, Mary was a celebrity now. Or celebrity-adjacent, at least.</p><p>Richard hadn’t really registered what marrying into the Osborne riches would do for Mary’s fame. It had been the last thing on his mind when he’d humiliated himself at the hotel that evening. When Ben had bundled him into the car and given him a stern pep talk, Richard had been despondent but was determined to ignore the wedding as best he could. He thought it would be easy, but within a week, Mary and Norman’s wedding pictures were front and center on pretty much every magazine and newspaper in the world. Their honeymoon was covered on Entertainment Tonight. They had gone on Leno. Letterman. Oprah. Barbara Walters. Norman was building his empire and American was responding with fascination and Richard felt like he saw more of Mary in the following year than he had done since they left college.</p><p>The baby was born in July 1995 and had been named Harold, nicknamed ‘Harry’ by pretty much everyone from the day of his birth. A few days after it, Richard had stayed up all night with a bottle of whisky, attempting to formulate the words to put down in a letter of congratulations to Mary but had given up by three in the morning and thrown his six completed pages into the fire. Heartbreak sucked.</p><p>It had been the last straw for Ben, who threatened to kick him out if Richard didn’t get his act together and do something with his life. Richard had never wanted to be motivated by spite but seeing Norman’s rise was enough to motivate Richard to move to Washington and apply for a junior position working as a scientific researcher at the Pentagon. He’d got the job and spent pretty much the next five years travelling around the world, seemingly haunted by the Osborne’s at every turn.</p><p>He’d been in Paris when he learned Peter had been born. He was in Auckland International Airport when Harley’s birth had been announced on the nine o’clock news. By that time, however, Richard was so committed to his self-destructive pattern of boozing, womanizing and working that the idea of sitting down and writing a letter of congratulations to Mary Osborne had been the last thing on her mind.</p><p>He was over her.</p><p>Which was to say he wasn’t even remotely close to being over her and maybe every woman he had sex with during those lost years had ended up bearing her face when he looked at them. It was a sickness, a disease, and he felt like was dying. This was no way to live.</p><p>Richard travelled a lot and saw his family rarely. Ben and May had really hit it off when they’d bumped into one another on the morning of Mary and Norman’s wedding, dating in secret for many months until Richard had literally walked in on them having sex on the sofa in his and Ben’s old apartment. They married in October 2000, Richard had been best man and had spent the six months leading up to the wedding dreading it as Mary was due to be Maid of Honor. Tragically, his worry had ended up being for nothing when Mary had suffered a miscarriage a few weeks before the wedding and the Osborne’s had missed it as a result. It brought Richard no joy.</p><p>The miscarriage had been the only occasion in the previous eight years where Richard had made a direct attempt at communicating a message to Mary. A simple note to say he was thinking of her, sent through May and probably never delivered. More of a sense of obligation than anything else.</p><p>May had been hired as the Osborne’s kids nanny not long after that. May and Richard had quickly sorted out their differences when her relationship with Ben became serious, and Richard felt May was wasting a lot of her potential by taking the nanny job. She was already god mother to all three boys, surely that was enough? Ben had been on the same page as Richard. May had a psychology degree from Harvard! It seemed like madness that she would agree to be her best friend’s children’s nanny but May had never been hung up on pretension or expectations. Her views had only become more liberal with age.</p><p>They kept Mary out of their conversations. At his busiest, Richard only managed to meet up with his brother and sister-in-law about three times a year, something he always looked forward to. Around a year after she began working for the Osborne’s, Richard had been rather embarrassingly pleased when after a few glasses of red wine, May would be open to criticize Norman quite harshly. It seemed as if he was controlling as ever but May would never say a word about his capability as a father or as a husband, he exceeded at both. He just wasn’t a very good boss but May knew him of old and he tolerated her joshing him.</p><p>Ben also joined Oscorp. That had felt like a bit of a betrayal but when Richard learned just how much Norman Osborne was willing to pay his big brother for being head of security soon put any doubts he had to bed. Ben and May had always struggled financially and Richard couldn’t deny them or feel bitter over them achieving the kind of lifestyle that Oscorp money afforded them. It was at that point that Richard really began to consider that his feelings for Mary were well and truly in the past. He was ready to move on, forget her for good.</p><p>Then, in July 2003, Norman Osborne called him out of the blue and offered him the job of a lifetime back in New York. A simple ‘formal chat’ at Osborne manner were the only interview requirements and Richard would be in a six-figure-salary job that was closer to the only family he had. Travel was killing him, biting the bullet, Richard had agreed to the interview.</p><p>“I want you to know, I don’t hold you trying to talk Mary out of our wedding the night before against you in any way” had been the first words out of Osborne’s mouth when Richard had pulled up to the manner, got out of his car and shaken his potential new boss’s hand, “It was a long time ago and I think Mary and I have proven whatever doubts you had at the time utterly inconsequential…”</p><p>“Yes, I suppose so” Richard replied, not knowing whether Norman shooting the elephant in the room on entrance was a positive or negative thing, “I’m pleased that you and Mary have managed to build such an extraordinary life for yourselves and your boys. It’s really to be admired.”</p><p>“Thank you” Norman replied with a chuckle, “And I hope after our chat this afternoon, Mr. Parker, I can persuade you to jump aboard this crazy ship with us. If your work ethic and sense of professionalism is anything like that of your brother and sister-in-law, I’m sure we’ll get along famously. Regardless of our past differences, I always had a mind to how brilliant you were and the potential you harvested as far back as the first time we met.”</p><p>Richard nodded and stayed mostly silent as Norman gave him a tour of the stately home. It was very grand and Richard didn’t see how it was in any way relevant to the business Norman wanted to discuss with him, at a guess he theorized Norman had simply wanted to show off his mass wealth and possessions to his former love rival. Possessions had always meant more to Norman and symbolized success more than relationships ever had. Norman would never rub Mary and the boys under Richard’s nose as a way of boasting, he assumed that men did not care about such things, he’d much rather attempt to make Richard feel insecure over his apparently inferior make of car.</p><p>Luckily, Richard didn’t care enough about cars or money or houses to be petered by Norman’s attempts at wealth shaming. He was doing more than OK himself in terms of finances and managing an estate as large as Osborne manner seemed like a lot of time and effort he couldn’t be bothered with. It wasn’t until they’d done a full lap of the grounds and sat down on a veranda with a cold glass of lemonade each that Norman got down to business.</p><p>“I’ve been very impressed with your work in the medical field” Norman said, “I know you were denied a grant by the government to conduct further research into DNA manipulation and limb re-growth due to the entire budget being eaten up by this pointless war we’ve found ourselves in.”</p><p>“Yes, very frustrating” Richard sighed, “I was very close to a breakthrough as well.”</p><p>“Do you still have the research?” Norman asked.</p><p>“All piled up in my garage” Richard smirked, “Just sitting, gathering dust now. It could really revolutionize the way in which we care for people who have lost limbs.”</p><p>“I have faith in your abilities as a researcher to not ask you to present me your finings” Norman replied, “I do however want to make you an offer. Here at Oscorp, we have been frankly disgusted by the way severely injured veterans have been returning from war. Discarded. Ignored. Just told to shut up and get on with life without an arm or a leg, or both in some cases. We want to change that. Our goals collide with yours, Mr. Parker, and I’d like to come aboard and complete your research with us”</p><p>Richard blanched. He’d been expecting to be offered some glorified laboratory job, not continuing the research he’d poured his heart and soul into for the last eighteen months.</p><p>“You-you-“ he stuttered. Norman laughed.</p><p>“You’ll be fully funded, of course” he said with a smile that actually seemed genuine, “And have a team of staff at your disposal. We feel your research and our company ethics are very compatible and we’d quite like to harvest the situation to our advantage, and of course, the advantage of our injured service men and women.”</p><p>Richard had to admit there was something different about the Norman Osborne that was sitting in front of him compared to the Norman Osborne he’d known a decade before. This Norman still had some typically old Norman traits; he clearly valued his companies boom in positive reputation from helping injured veterans more than he did the veterans himself and he was still undoubtedly a snob, but the Norman Osborne that was presently sitting in front of Richard seemed more grounded and thoughtful. It would never have occurred to him to even try and help injured soldiers when Richard knew him before; he recalled Osborne mocking soldiers when the Gulf War had broken out in ’91.</p><p>It seemed reasonable enough to Richard that Norman would have changed. Stepping back from his own personal feelings, Richard knew that in the decade since they’d last seen one another, Norman had become a father three times over. That had to change a person and make them shift their priorities and outlook on the world.</p><p>“I look forward to working with you” Richard said, feeling surprisingly light and not as if he was making a deal with the devil, “Thank you for this opportunity.”</p><p>They shook hands and Norman nodded before beckoning over a young intern. The intern, whom Richard learned was a Harvard grad named Quentin Beck, nodded and hurried inside before Norman offered Richard another glass of lemonade. They were a dry house, apparently.</p><p>“We’re still Republican through and through, of course” Norman was saying a few minutes later when Beck returned with what looked to be an already written up contract, “That will likely never change but it doesn’t mean we approve of whatever nonsense those fools in the White House are getting up to. I suppose you must feel the same way to have walked away in the manner you did.”</p><p>“Yes, it’s been rough since the attacks” Richard replied, “A bit too much focus on retribution and not enough on finding a peaceful solution for my tastes, it’s like a poison that’s seeping in everywhere.”</p><p>“Quite” Norman considered, “How familiar are you with Thaddeus Ross and Alexander Pierce?”</p><p>“We’ve met” Richard said casually, “Very intense men in a lot of ways, but I have appreciated how critical they’ve been of the war. Why do you ask?”</p><p>“Oh, we’re cooking something up together” Norman replied with a smile, “They’re both determined not to allow the President to sit another term, we’ve been banding around a few ideas about how to possibly make that a reality.”</p><p>“Mr. Osborne goes to Washington?” Richard smirked.</p><p>“We’ll see, old boy, we’ll see” Norman said as he raised his glass, “Take a look over your contract tonight and send it back to me when you’re content. I normally ask for new employees to wait for a few weeks before their start dates but I don’t think we’ll need to bother with such formalities.”</p><p>The sound of a car engine turning off and four doors slamming distracted the conversation. Richard’s heart was in his mouth, knowing it couldn’t be anyone else but Mary.</p><p>“Guess they must be back from their shopping trip” Norman shrugged before glancing at Beck, “Quentin, can you go and ask Mary to come out here. There’s an old friend she may want to come and be reacquainted with.”</p><p>“Yes, sir” Beck replied, showing no hint of a personality, before heading inside.</p><p>“I’ve told Mary that I’m interviewing you of course” Norman said with a smile, “I’m sure that she’s going to be delighted you accepted my offer.”</p><p>Richard returned the smile but found himself incapable of speech as the sound of high heels hitting the marble flooring drew nearer and nearer. He was aware that Osborne would not be able to resist watching him out of the corner of his eye, yet Richard still made an attempt to smarten up his appearance a little as Mary Holland came into his eyeline for the first time in almost ten years.</p><p>She was still beautiful. She still took his breath away. He still loved her, god damn it.</p><p>“Richard” she said shyly as she took off her sunglasses. Richard stood. “How lovely to see you, Norman said you were here for an interview. I expected it to have been over by now.”</p><p>“Oh, it is” Norman cut in before Richard could reply. He stood up, put his arms around Mary and brought her in for a quick kiss. Richard frowned. Maybe Osborne was willing to rub the marriage in his face as well as everything else too. “Mr. Parker has accepted my offer and will start working for us pretty much immediately. Heading up the lab in New York, very exciting.”</p><p>Mary looked slightly taken aback for a second but smiled quickly to mask it.</p><p>“Well, congratulations” she said heavily, “I’m sure you’ll be very happy working with Norman and his team in New York. Some of the best minds in the country.”</p><p>“I look forward to it” Richard said with a smile, “And it’s nice to see you again, as well, Mary. I’m sorry that it’s been so long. We have a lot to catch up on.”</p><p>“So much” Mary said with a nod. Norman squeezed her shoulder.</p><p>“Mr. Osborne, phone for you” Quentin Beck interrupted, “It’s Mr. Ross, he wants to talk to you about hosting some kind of fundraiser in October.”</p><p>“Very well” Norman sighed, “I’ll leave you two to catch up.”</p><p>He kissed Mary on the cheek again as he left and Richard didn’t know if his mind was playing tricks on him in her presence, but he could have sworn her smile was more of a wince. Regardless, Norman left and Mary’s smile remained, she sat down next to Richard and patted his arm.</p><p>“I have been so impressed by your work over the last few years” she said proudly, “Ben and May never stop singing your praises, though even if they didn’t, I’m sure I would have heard in some other fashion. You have made one hell of an impact, Rich, like I always knew that you would.”</p><p>“Thank you” Richard replied, “You…err, charity work might not have been where I imagined you ending up, but what you’ve achieved is so beyond amazing. I guess we both ended up changing the world in our own little ways in the end, didn’t we?”</p><p>Mary grinned.</p><p>“Oh Rich, I have missed having you around” she sighed, “There’s been so many times over the last ten years where I’ve wanted to turn around and gage your reaction to things, but it’s just been empty space. I have loved my life but it would have been just that little bit more special had you been there for the ride as well.”</p><p>“Well, work and…y’know, I travelled a lot” Richard sighed, “Look, when I first got here, Norman pretty much addressed our issues straight away and made it clear that what I did on the night before your guys’ wedding wasn’t going to be a lingering issue for him. So, with that in mind, I want to tell you now that I’m sorry for what I did that night. The boy who did that was petty and jealous and not thinking straight. I had no right to try and pull you away from the life you chose.”</p><p>“Thank you” Mary said softly as she squeezed his hand, something that seemed almost like regret flashed in her eyes but Richard immediately stored that deep down in his mind under ‘do not address’, “It means a lot to me to hear you say that. I want us to be friends, Rich, I want us to be like we were before. Better in fact.”</p><p>“I’d like that as well” Richard replied. Just as he’d finished, a small boy of around six years of age appeared behind Mary at the patio doors. He was so small and skinny that Richard was sure the light breeze that was present at the scene could probably knock him down. Immediately, Richard knew this was Peter. He might never have met Mary’s children before but he’d seen enough pictures in magazines and from May’s personal collection that he could tell who was who immediately. Still, he decided to go along with the whole introduction part.</p><p>“Mommy” Peter said sweetly as he lunged forward. Mary smiled as her middle son reached her chair and gracefully put her arms around his shoulders, steadying his swaying form, “I didn’t know where you wented, I was waiting for you to come and look at my new book with me.”</p><p>“Oh, I’m sorry honey” Mary replied, “I had to come out here and say hello to a friend.”</p><p>“Is that him?” Peter asked, voice shaking as he pointed a quivering finger at Richard, who tried his best to flash the boy a winning smile. From what Ben had told him, Peter didn’t react well to strangers.</p><p>“Yes, baby, this is my friend Richard” Mary said softly, “He’s very nice. Mommy and Richard were friends in college, before Mommy and Daddy met. He’s also the Richard who’s your Uncle Ben’s brother….you know, the <em>scientist</em>!”</p><p>Peter gasped and looked towards Richard with excitement.</p><p>“You’re a <em>scientist?</em>” he asked, amazed.</p><p>“Err, yes, yes I am” Richard stuttered as Peter rushed towards him, “I’ve just agreed to come and work for your old Dad in the labs in New York.”</p><p>“Cool!” Peter beamed, “I love science! Especially chemistry, that’s my favourite cos you can do the experiments but Daddy won’t let me in the labs cos of he says I’m too clumsy but I only broke like four beakers when I last went. It’s unfair, right Mommy?!”</p><p>“Rules are rules, baby” Mary replied with a good-natured smile. Peter sighed and turned to face Richard, who noticed his smile was exactly the same as his mothers. Richard had heard a good deal about all of Mary’s boys from Ben and May over the last three and a half years, but it was Peter who came up the most in their discussion. He could see why, May was totally right, sweetness and light just shone out of the boy effortlessly. He was disarming, you didn’t want to take your eyes off of him. It was intense. Peter may have resembled Norman the most physically, but he had every part of his mother’s essence and three sentences in to knowing the kid, Richard could feel Peter Osborne digging himself a nice little bed in his heart.</p><p>“Are you really my Uncle Ben’s brother?” Peter asked, “Cos he always says his brother is the coolest and most awesome and most smartest person in the whole entire world!”</p><p>“Does he now?” Richard asked, “Well, do you want to know a secret?”</p><p>Peter nodded his head, almost violently.</p><p>“What?” the boy asked</p><p>“He’s wrong” Richard whispered, “I’m only the third most awesome person in the world. Can you guess who the first two are?”</p><p>“Err, I betcha mean Ben” Peter said excitedly, bouncing up and down a little, “Cos of everyone thinks their brothers are the best. I love my brothers like so, so, so much even if Harry sometimes takes the last apple juice when he knows I want it and Harley makes me share my bed with him when he has a bad dreams. I love them a lot so I bet you must love Ben a lot. And he must love you!”</p><p>“Bingo!” Richard said with a laugh. May had said Peter was pure sunshine but Richard assumed there was a bit of hyperbole involved in the assessment. He’d never been more wrong, and he’d never cared less about being wrong. “Brothers are just the best, aren’t they?”</p><p>“The best, the best, the best!” Peter agreed. Damn, this kid.</p><p>“But who’s even better than a brother?” Richard asked, “Who is the most awesome person on the whole entire planet, do you know?”</p><p>Peter shook his head.</p><p>“Nope” he replied.</p><p>“Shall I give you a clue?” Richard asked, Peter once again nodded so enthusiastically that Richard was slightly scared the boys head would just roll off, “She’s sitting right across the table from us.”</p><p>Mary scoffed as Peter gasped and his eyes bulged.</p><p>“Mommy” he whispered before bouncing back over to Mary, “You’re right. Mommy’s the best! Mommy’s the best! Mommy’s the best!”</p><p>Mary laughed as her adorable boy bounced on to her lap and immediately flung his arms around her neck and seemed to flop a little. Mary rolled her eyes in Richard’s direction before softening a little and kissing Peter on the forehead.</p><p>“No, honey, <em>you’re </em>the best” she whispered in Peter’s ear and he giggled adorably. Richard felt his heart grow about three sizes at the sound. Mary put Peter back on his feet and tapped his nose, “Can you go and make sure your brothers are washing their hands for dinner, and I’ll be up to inspect in a minute once I’ve finished talking to….Uncle Richard…OK?”</p><p>“OK Mommy!” Peter said brightly before skipping back over to Richard and flinging his arms around the man’s waist, “Bye Uncle Richard, I’ll see you soon. I’m happy you’re going to be working for my Daddy!”</p><p>With that, Peter skipped away out of eye-line and Richard was sure the world somehow seemed a little dimmer in spite of the fact it was still a sunny afternoon at the end of July. Mary laughed as Richard stared into the space where Peter had just been.</p><p>“Yeah, he has that affect on people” she chuckled, “Sometimes I wonder what it must be like to actually meet Peter for the first time, I’ve been with him all his life. I imagine it’s quite something.”</p><p>“Sweet kid” Richard said, unable to stop smiling, “He’s really…wow”</p><p>“A little too sweet sometimes” Mary sighed, “I worry about him. His brother’s are little sweethearts too but they’re more open to the idea of other people having flaws than Peter is. I think he assumes the best of every single person he’s ever met. It’s sweet, but we both know the world doesn’t work like that, he’ll be hurt badly one day because of it.”</p><p>“He’ll be fine” Richard assured her as he signed his name on the contract Norman has passed him. There was no doubts left in his mind now. Oscorp was his future, if only for the sake of possibly being around to mentor Peter Osborne’s future genius in the labs. It was a no brainer. “With a mother like you, the guidance of Ben and May, his innate goodness. Peter will be just fine.”</p><p>“Yeah, I’m sure you’re right” Mary replied with a smile, “Oh Rich, I’m so pleased that I get to have you back in my life as a friend.”</p><p>Richard smiled back, making eternal promises to her in his mind already. That she would be safe. That he would make sure her sons were always safe. Especially Peter. Little did either know the contract that sat between them contained an agreement that meant Richard himself would be the one responsible for hurting Peter Osborne in the worst possible way. The countdown had begun.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p>
  <em>5 years later, August 10<sup>th</sup>, 2008, Osborne manner, Long Island, New York, Peter Osborne’s 11<sup>th</sup> Birthday Party. </em>
</p><p>Mary was avoiding him, though Richard supposed he couldn’t blame her. The day was going to be stressful enough for her without him hanging around like a ghost, a reminder of the mistake they’d both made and everything they now stood to lose if anyone found out. No one did, as far as Richard could tell, though he was sure by now at the very least May had her suspicions.</p><p>They’d been so careful, him and Mary, those first four years. They were always so willing to consider themselves friends, open up to one another in the way friends did, Richard spent so much time with her and her children as just a friend, and they’d actually started to believe the façade. Richard knew from six weeks after he’d started at Oscorp and Norman had blackmailed him into taking part in unthinkable, unethical practices that there would never be a future for him and Mary. His conscience was barley allowing him to exist around her and her kids, knowing what he’d done, there was no way he’d ever be able to allow himself to be with her romantically.</p><p>But he was weak, and he’d learned in the last five years that his ethics and morals were easy to ignore when he wanted something bad enough. Richard Parker was a fundamentally selfish human being and he couldn’t stand to look at himself in the mirror most days because of what he’d been doing to Peter since December 19<sup>th</sup>, 2003.</p><p>The only thing that kept Richard going, kept him alive, but ultimately kept him doing what he was doing to Peter was the knowledge that if it wasn’t him, it would have been someone malevolent, who wouldn’t adjust the practice to expose Peter to the least amount of pain he could stomach. But Richard wasn’t kidding himself, he knew one second of pain for the boy was one second too many, but he was tied between a rock and a hard place. There was no other way.</p><p>The affair with Mary had started on her terms. Because she had wanted it. Because she had wanted him but was too scared to leave Norman. If they thought Osborne had been powerful back when Richard had first agreed to the job, it was nothing when compared to the power and influence he’d amassed in the ensuing five years. They both lived with the knowledge that Norman would destroy them if he ever caught wind of the truth.</p><p>But Richard was selfish and desperate, so he pushed it.</p><p>Christine Everhart continued to make eyes at him from across the room. The party was not one that you would typically see for an eleven-year old boy. It was full of senators and big bankers and further networking opportunities for the boys’ father, who mingled without so much as a glance towards his second son who seemed resigned to his father’s indifference.</p><p>Luckily, Peter did seem like he was having a good time. Norman had invited a decent number of his classmates and his brothers always kept him company and adequately entertained. Mary was in full wife of a future politician mode and effortlessly mingled and charmed all of the high-profile guests. Every so often, Richard would notice her making a longing look as her three boys played outside, but the moments were fleeting and she would soon return to her conversations.</p><p>Norman was gearing up for an announcement that he was to run for the New York senate.</p><p>Richard thought it was a risk, and not just because he was under no illusions about his boss being a ruthless psychopath. But Washington was already full of those. No, Richard thought the run a mistake because the tide of the countries views were becoming more progressive and Norman had only become more conservative as the years had gone on. Even his once anti-war stance had softened. It was the wrong time to run for office and Richard dreaded the consequences for pretty much everyone in Norman’s life when he would eventually lose and be humiliated on a national stage.</p><p>“Strange party, don’t cha think?” Christine Everhart asked him as she slid up next to him and passed him another flute of non-alcoholic champagne, “Unless Peter Osborne’s genuinely friends with the Ugandan ambassador.”</p><p>“They did play a pretty nice game of Jenga at the Christmas soiree” Richard smirked, “Peter can win over anyone, if there’s anyone who should be running for office at this party, it’s him. That was off the record of course.”</p><p>“Of course” Christine said with a smile, “Mary’s probably a great asset to have here though. Smart, beautiful, friendly, don’t you think?”</p><p>“Naturally” Richard said shortly, he’d never trusted journalists all that much and he could tell Christine was trying to angle something out of him. Taking a deep breath, Richard moved away from Christine and ventured into the garden where he found Steven Westcott and Ben Parker overseeing a massive game of tig with all the kids. Steven was ‘it’. With Peter Osborne the last man standing thanks to his impressive speed (<em>which he would not have if it weren’t for you Parker you sick fuck</em>), Steven hoisted the boy on his shoulders and did a victory lap with him. Richard smiled as Peter beamed, enough to light up this dank world just a little bit more.</p><p>May shot Richard a curious smile and gestured for him to come over but Richard’s guilt over his part in Peter’s suffering was hitting him extra hard, so he declined. Quietly, Richard weaved in and out of several clusters of self-important delegate birthday guests and stumbled down the ground floor lobby towards Norman’s study. He imagined Beck would likely be in their attempting to find his latest way to brown nose, but Richard would rather make awkward small talk with him then have to suffer through watching Peter Osborne thoroughly enjoy his birthday party when he was in full knowledge of what was to come for the boy later that evening.</p><p>He tried to get Norman to change the day, spare Peter such suffering on his birthday, but Osborne had been determined and resolute. The 11<sup>th</sup> of every month, without fail. Twelve times a year. Twelve times a year when Richard would play his part in drugging and experimenting on a non-consenting little boy who would scream and cry and kick through the entire process. But it was OK, apparently. Because Peter was a child and therefore couldn’t consent, so his father could consent for him.</p><p>Because Peter was a possession. An artefact. He wasn’t a person, not to Norman.</p><p>Richard’s knees wobbled and he steadied himself against the pillar outside of Norman’s study as the overwhelming feelings of guilt and self-loathing crept upon him once again. He loosened the tie around his neck as he struggled for air, only centering himself again when he heard arguing coming from within the study.</p><p>One voice belonged to Norman. Cold. Hard. Furious.</p><p>The other belonged to his eldest son, Harry. He matched his father’s qualities.</p><p>“Completely inconsiderate as per usual” Norman was barking at his thirteen-year-old son, “You have utterly humiliated me in front of the Chinese ambassador boy, what do you have to say for yourself?”</p><p>“That I don’t really get why he’s at an eleven-year-old’s birthday party?” Harry shot back. Richard made sure to keep himself out of view. “And that I’m sorry I accidentally spilled orange juice down him when you deliberately pushed me out of the room.”</p><p>“That wasn’t what I was doing and you know that!” Norman bellowed, “For goodness sake, Harold, you know how important today was for me and you were just determined to ruin it like you ruin everything else, weren’t you?”</p><p>“For you?” Harry snapped, “Today shouldn’t even be about you, it should be about Peter. It’s his birthday and you haven’t even looked at him or wished him a happy birthday.”</p><p>“That can wait” Norman bit back, “You know, the ironic thing here is that Peter, unlike you, actually understands and appreciates the importance of today. Because he is capable of rising above the level of a bull in a china shop, unlike you and your piggy looking brother.”</p><p>“Harley is <em>not </em>fat, stop calling him that” Harry snarled, “And Peter knows today is bullshit, just like he knows everything with you is bullshit, like the rest of us do.”</p><p>Richard winced as he heard the loud crack of skin hitting skin. From what he could tell, Norman Osborne had just struck his oldest son on the face. Harry’s hand jumped up to where there was now a throbbing red hand print on his cheek.</p><p>“You promised you would never do that again” he choked brokenly.</p><p>Norman left without saying a word. Richard stayed extra still as Norman walked back into the dining room and immediately started up a conversation again. Still hiding behind his pillar, Richard heard Harry drop to his knees and begin quietly sobbing to himself, as well as the teenager’s little heartbreaking pep talk to himself as he tried to keep the tears at bay.</p><p>“C’mon Harry pull yourself together” the boy cried to himself, “Stupid, stupid, stupid. Don’t let him get to you. Don’t let him get to you. It’s Peter’s birthday, you need to be brave for Peter and Harley.”</p><p>Richard felt tears form in his own eyes as he listened to Harry take a deep breath, smoothen his t-shirt and walk out of the study with his head held high. Richard did not get a good enough look at the boy to see how bad his mark would be, but he guessed not too bad if Harry was immediately willing to re-join the party. It didn’t let him feel less like a piece of human garbage though. If he’d been any kind of man, Richard would have stopped Norman from striking his son, or at the very least comforted said son afterwards and not left the boy to push down his hurt for the sake of his little brothers.</p><p>But as established, Richard Parker was the worst kind of coward.</p><p>Confronting Norman over hitting Harry would mean that the unspoken agreement between the men where Richard didn’t ask or take his boss to task regarding his treatment of his sons would break. Which meant Richard wouldn’t be able to fool himself anymore that Norman was just unconventional and conservative in his approaches to parenting. Which would mean that Richard would have to accept that his boss was a very bad man and that the monthly borderline torturous experiments performed on his son were not, in fact, a necessary evil for the greater good but were instead a heinous act of child abuse to which Richard was more than just complicit. He was an active participant.</p><p>But he had no choice.</p><p>Not with the dirt Norman had managed to uncover on him.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p>By the time dusk settled in, most of the delegates had long gone. Norman’s waning interest in his son’s birthday all but evaporated and he soon retired to his study with Beck, not forgetting to subtly remind Richard that they were still on for later as he did so. Richard observed as the party number depletes and many children were carried out, sleeping, by their parents. Mary and May made a start on the kitchen which had left Ben in charge of calming down an incredibly hyperactive Harley Osborne whilst Harry and Peter set up a karaoke machine with Steven Westcott.</p><p>Someone, or multiple someone’s, had taken their eye off the ball with Harley that afternoon and the boy had consumed sugary snack after sugary snack. Harley was practically on another planet and not at all capable of listening to reason by the end of the party. He giggled happily as he ran around the room, trying to exude the mass amounts of hysterical energy he’d built up throughout the afternoon. Ben, a former SAS soldier and the most fit and healthy person Richard had ever known, even seemed worn out by the boy as he tried to scoop him up and calm him down.</p><p>“RUN! RUN! RUN!” Harley yelled over and over again as he darted around the dining room, successfully evading Ben at every turn, “YOU CAN’T NEVER CATCH ME EVIL MR. BEN. I. AM. HARLEY.”</p><p>Richard smirked. Harley was adorable. Still innocent in the ways that Norman Osborne was slowly either beating or drugging out of his elder brothers. As he watched Harley playfully jump from chair to chair without a care, laughing as he did so, Richard wondered if it wasn’t too late to save at least one of the boys. The youngest of Mary’s sons should be protected.</p><p>Harley darted past Richard and ran out into the hallway towards Norman’s study, still being very loud with his hysterical laughter. Steven, Harry and Peter managed to get the karaoke machine up and running and immediately burst into a rendition of <em>I Want It That Way </em>as Ben sighed, rolled his eyes, patted Richard’s shoulder and went to chase after Harley. Richard followed his brother; knowing this was likely a two-man job and that Norman wouldn’t take kindly to being disturbed.</p><p>“Harley, stop” Ben called as Harley continued to run around in circled like a mad man, “Harley, Mom and Dad aren’t going to let you stay up late again if you can’t be a good boy.”</p><p>“DON’T CARE!” Harley shouted back as he laughed again, “DON’T CARE! YOU’RE BOTH SMELLY AND I DON’T CARE!”</p><p>“Fine” Ben snapped, crossing his arms, “Then I’m going to have to tell Mom aren’t I? You stay here and I’ll go get her. She’s not going to be very happy when she finds out about this!”</p><p>Ben turned on his heels and went to find Mary. Richard sighed, having absolutely no idea what to do now he was alone with Harley in this state. This was something entirely new. Harley continued to run around the room and leaped off of a sofa, shouting “TO INFINITY AND BEYOND” as he did so despite Richard’s vain attempts at getting him to stop.</p><p>It was only when Harley’s run was broken by his bumping into his father’s waist and falling on to his bottom that Richard knew the situation was probably about to turn a little nasty. Norman’s face was the picture of fury as he glanced down at his youngest son, who’s lip began to quiver and body began to shake as his father hoisted him back up to his feet.</p><p>“I think that certain <em>fat </em>little boys should be in bed by now” Norman snarled nastily in Harley’s face and punching his stomach causing the boy to begin to sniffle and cry, “Instead of being all noisy and loud out here. Being so greedy, having so many sweeties, it’s no wonder you’re tummy’s all pudgy is it, Harls?”</p><p>Richard’s words were caught in his throat as he watched his boss verbally berate and degrade his now unmoving youngest son.</p><p>“Sorry Daddy” Harley muttered.</p><p>“Not good enough, I’m afraid” Norman said quietly, he either hadn’t registered Richard’s presence yet or just didn’t care that he was privy to this, “Now run along little piggy before you get into any more trouble and I have to teach you a lesson the same way I teach Harry.”</p><p>Harley shook his head and ran from away from his father, who quickly returned to his study just as Ben and Mary returned to the scene. Richard was at a loss for words as a crying Harley didn’t even register him before running into the arms of his mother. Mary was like an instant tonic for the boy. He immediately stopped crying the second she bent down and took him in her arms.</p><p>“What’s going on, baby?” she asked quietly.</p><p>“I was bad Mommy. I’m sorry” Harley muttered as Mary rubbed his back, “I ate too many sweeties today and I made too many noises. Sorry.”</p><p>Mary sighed.</p><p>“Oh baby” she said softly, “You know sugar makes you a little crazy version of Harley sometimes, and we do love little crazy Harley, but sometimes he doesn’t know when to stop, does he?”</p><p>Harley shook his head.</p><p>“I called Ben smelly” the boy sniffled.</p><p>“Aww bud, don’t worry about it” Ben said, gently stroking the boy’s hair as Mary picked him up and moved back into the living room. Ben and Richard followed. Richard knew that he should tell Mary about the way Norman had just treated her youngest son, but he found himself unable to form the words, and Harley seemed to have brightened up remarkably quickly now he was safe in her arms.</p><p>Peter and Harry stood with the karaoke machine and beckoned Mary and Harley over.</p><p>“Mom! Mom!” Peter bounced over to his mother and little brother, “Mom, our song is next up on the karaoke machine, our song, can you sing it to me?”</p><p>Mary sighed and immediately kissed her middle son of the forehead.</p><p>“Of course I can” she said with her radiant smile. She sat herself and Harley down on the edge of the little wooden stage the karaoke machine was placed on, keeping the littlest boy in her lap as he reached his arms around her waist and rested his head on her chest. Peter smiled and sat down next to her. He rested his head on Mary’s shoulders.</p><p>Harry also took a seat, a little ways a way and not making physical contact with his mother or brothers, but he looked content, nonetheless. Richard had noticed Harry’s once burning love of physical contact with his loved ones had dimmed a lot recently, he’d put it down to the boy simply growing older but after witnessing what he had done with Norman earlier, he had to wonder if that was the real reason. Harry curled his arms around his own stomach as Mary picked up the karaoke microphone with her spare hand whilst Ben fired up a video camera.</p><p>Christine Everhart took a seat, leaning forward with mild interest and anticipation at what was about to happen.</p><p>The music stared. Cyndi Lauper’s <em>Time After Time</em>. Richard turned away as Mary began singing to her sons and propped himself up against the drinks table next to May, who handed him a glass of champagne. He was fighting back tears, forgetting how gorgeous and soft Mary’s singing voice had always been.</p><p>“The real stuff this time” May muttered as he took the glass, “You’re playing a very dangerous game, Richard, stop this before something much worse starts.”</p><p>Richard paused but May was gone before he could formulate a reply. She moved and sat down next to her husband on the sofa, leaning her head on his shoulder as Ben continued to record the rather lovely scene going on in front of them. Richard moved back over. Mary was still singing and gently swaying Harley as the song carried on.</p><p><em>“The drum beats out of time” </em>she sang softly as Peter grinned, <em>“If you’re lost you can look and you will find me, time after time. If you fall, I will catch you, I will be waiting. Time after time. Time after time. After my picture fades and darkness has turned to grey…”</em></p><p>Time seemed to stop for a second as Mary laughed, flipped her beautiful blonde hair back and squeezed her boys, and Richard was so in love with her. Harry scooched over and Mary took him under her spare arm, allowing his head to rest on her spare shoulder as all three boys began to join in on the final chorus. For a second, Mary’s gaze ventured to Richard and they were locked in eye-contact, but she subtly shook her head and then smiled down at Harley.</p><p>There was a selfish, awful part of Richard’s soul in that moment that had dared to dream and wish the words she was singing were meant for him. And he was shamed of it. He hated it. He loathed it. He <em>despised</em> it and wanted it gone. Because those lyrics were not meant for him, they were meant for Mary Osborne’s sons. The three beautiful boys who were huddled up in her arms, all bleary eyed and soft but smiling and laughing despite the fact that all of them – at some point that day – had been subjected to their father’s malevolence and abuse.</p><p>He’d struck Harry.</p><p>He’d belittled and humiliated Harley.</p><p>He was going to experiment on Peter again, in the dark of the night, under the guise of a caring for yet another epileptic fit.</p><p>But all those things didn’t seem to matter to the boys as they listened to their mother sing to them. Richard didn’t know when or where or how or why <em>Time After Time</em> had become Mary Osborne’s dedication to her sons, but it seemed rude to even wonder that.</p><p>“We love you, Mom” Harry said quietly as the song ended.</p><p>“I love you as well, my little princes” she replied.</p><p>The boys all looked blissfully happy at hearing the term, as they always had done. And it was moments like this where Richard knew he had to learn to be unselfish. He wasn’t what was important here, those boys were, they needed their mother and Richard had no right to do anything that might take her away from them.</p><p>It was in that moment that Richard Parker finally accepted that Mary Osborne would never be his.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>EURGH, that final sequence just hit me so hard when I first thought it up.</p><p>Hope you enjoyed this installment of Blood Feud. Next time, we finally get inside the head of one of the Osborne boys.<br/>Please leave a comment and remember to bookmark the series to keep up to date</p><p>Much love,<br/>Jamie <br/>xxxx</p></blockquote></div></div>
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